Watan-Minister of Health of the Sudanese Federation, Haitham Ibrahim, revealed the sexual and physical violations committed by the Rapid Support Forces supported by the United Arab Emirates against Sudanese women through actions he described as unethical, inhumane, and irreligious.
Speaking in a televised interview with Al Jazeera, he stated that the official numbers of rape cases do not fully reflect the reality, as they receive reports from families and tribes in Darfur state indicating the existence of other unregistered cases.
He also disclosed that some women resort to suicide after being subjected to either physical or sexual violations.
As for the survivors among these women, the Sudanese minister explained that most of their cases are critical and require surgical interventions related to abortion or intervention to prevent pregnancy if the rape occurred in its early days.
He spoke about the assistance provided by the Sudanese Ministry of Health to these women, saying, “We provide psychological support to cases that may resort to suicide, and we have started to develop a comprehensive protocol for treating rape victims.”
He added that certain hospitals and centers have been allocated for this purpose, and personnel have been trained in most states, with victims being directed to centers and hospitals that provide such services at regular intervals.
Ibrahim further stated that there are community initiatives working to provide rights, protection for victims, and comprehensive care for them by providing medications and drugs through either the Federal Ministry of Health or the United Nations Population Fund.
The minister also pointed out that the main and significant problem for these women lies in the difficulty of accessing medical services, saying, “Most of the registered cases we have are in areas where the Rapid Support Forces are present, and it is difficult for personnel to reach these areas and deliver supplies.”
The Rapid Support Forces have committed war crimes in Sudan, including rape against Sudanese women.
He added: “Therefore, we rely on international organizations present in the field as well as on field health resource personnel, such as trained midwives and medical assistants who are part of the community.”
Not a new accusation
This accusation is not the first of its kind, as a report issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights revealed that at least 118 people, including 19 children, were subjected to sexual violence, including rape, gang rape, and attempted rape.
The report indicated that many rape cases occurred in homes and streets by individuals belonging to the Rapid Support Forces.
It also mentioned that one girl was subjected to repeated gang rape for 35 days after being detained in a building.
The UN Human Rights Commission attributed 70% of confirmed cases of sexual violence to fighters wearing Rapid Support Forces uniforms, and it also indicated the involvement of soldiers in confirmed rape cases.
Horror stories
Earlier, horrifying stories were revealed about the escalating gender-based violence, as rights activists exposed cases of rape.
One of these stories involved a group of four Rapid Support Forces elements invading a family’s home in the Helfaya area of Khartoum Bahri.
The group looted the family’s car and some electrical appliances, and kidnapped the head of the family and his son to an unknown location at gunpoint.
The homeowner said, “While two of the group left our house after looting the car, two others decided to return to the house, and one of them pointed a gun at me, while the other raped me.”